FOUR BALLADS AND ROMANCES (BALLADEN UND ROMANZEN) FOR TWO
VOICES AND PIANO, OP. 75
Recording: Edith Mathis, soprano (Nos. 2-4); Brigitte Fassbaender, alto
(Nos. 1-2) and soprano 2 (No. 4); Peter Schreier, tenor (Nos. 1, 3);
Karl Engel, piano [DG 449 641-2]
Published
1878. Dedicated to “his friend” Julius Allgeyer.
This is by far the greatest set of Brahms duets, but
because all four of them are for different vocal combinations, at least
two of them have become very difficult to find in later
publications. Nos. 2 and 4 are often published with the
soprano/alto duets of Opp. 20, 61, and 66. The other two, which
feature a tenor (a voice not otherwise utilized in the duets) have
become orphans, very difficult to find outside the old complete edition
and its out-of-print reprints. This is a sorry situation, as No.
1 is, again by far, the greatest Brahms duet of all and No. 3 is his
only true love duet. Despite the different vocal types, the set
has some unity. All four songs are dialogues, which is not the
case with any set other than the “optional” duets, Op. 84 (which are
usually included with the solo songs). There are also some
parallels to the alto/baritone set, Op. 28. There is a long and
highly dramatic opening number, a cheerful, teasing second duet, a
highly lyrical third one, and a closer that is brief and exciting, but
highly complex. The first duet, Brahms’s only mother/son
dialogue, is absolutely riveting and bone-chilling in its effect.
It sets a German translation of the grisly Scottish balled “Edward,”
the poem that was the inspiration for the piano ballade, Op. 10, No. 1
(the two pieces are musically unrelated, however). The exchanges
of the dialogue gradually and inexorably reveal a terrible, but
inescapable truth. This is also true of the last duet in the set,
the thrilling mother/daughter exchange that reveals the mother as a
witch who has celebrated a Faustian Walpurgis Night. The duet is
indicated for two sopranos rather than the expected soprano/alto.
The mother’s lowest and highest notes are both more extreme than the
daughter’s. In this recording, the mother is sung by a true alto,
making her final high notes strained and frightening, as they should
be. The middle duets are more lyrical and relaxed. The
second is another mother/daughter dialogue, but it is similar to those
that will be found in the “optional” duets of the Op. 84 set, with the
mother protesting the daughter’s feelings for a potential suitor.
The genuine love duet of No. 3 is different from those of tragic regret
and unrequited teasing found in Op. 28. The only real parallel is
another of the “optional” duets, Op. 84, No. 5. It is extremely
serene and satisfying, and was unjustly criticized by Brahms’s female
friends, Clara Schumann and Elisabeth von Hezogenberg. It is the
only one of the four where the two voices sing together at length.
Note: Links to English translations of the texts
are from Emily Ezust’s
site at http://www.recmusic.org/lieder.
For
the most part, the translations are line-by-line, except where the
difference between German and English syntax requires slight
alterations to the contents of certain lines. The German texts
(included here) are also visible in the translation links. A link
to the original Scots English text as well as a translation of Herder’s
German into modern English is included for No. 1.
ONLINE
SCORE
FROM IMSLP (First Edition from Brahms-Institut
Lübeck)
1.
Edward. Text by Johann Gottfried Herder, adapted from a
Scottish-English ballad collected by Thomas Percy. Allegro. Varied
double strophic form. F MINOR, 4/4 time. Alto/Tenor.
German Text:
Dein Schwert, wie ist’s von Blut so rot?
Edward, Edward!
Dein Schwert, wie ist’s von Blut so rot?
Und gehst so traurig her? O!
O, ich hab geschlagen meinen Geier tot,
Mutter, Mutter!
O, ich hab geschlagen meinen Geier tot,
Und keinen hab ich wie er. O!
Deines Geiers Blut ist nicht so rot,
Edward, Edward!
Deines Geiers Blut ist nicht so rot,
Mein Sohn, bekenn mir frei! O!
O, ich hab geschlagen mein Rotroß tot,
Mutter, Mutter!
O, ich hab geschlagen mein Rotroß tot,
Und’s war so stolz und treu. O!
Dein Roß war alt und hast’s nicht not,
Edward, Edward!
Dein Roß war alt und hast’s nicht not,
Dich drückt ein andrer Schmerz. O!
O, ich hab geschlagen meinen Vater tot!
Mutter, Mutter!
O, ich hab geschlagen meinen Vater tot,
Und weh, weh ist mein Herz! O!
Und was für Buße willt du nun tun,
Edward, Edward?
Und was für Buße willt du nun tun?
Mein Sohn, bekenn’ mir mehr! O!
Auf Erden soll mein Fuß nicht ruhn!
Mutter, Mutter!
Auf Erden soll mein Fuß nicht ruhn!
Will gehn fern übers Meer! O!
Und was soll werden dein Hof und Hall,
Edward, Edward?
Und was soll werden dein Hof und Hall,
So herrlich sonst und schön? O!
Ich laß es stehn, bis es sink und fall!
Mutter, Mutter!
Ich laß es stehn, bis es sink und fall,
Mag nie es wiedersehn! O!
Und was soll werden dein Weib und Kind,
Edward, Edward?
Und was soll werden dein Weib und Kind,
Wann du gehst übers Meer? O!
Die Welt ist groß, laß sie betteln drin,
Mutter, Mutter!
Die Welt ist groß, laß sie betteln drin,
Ich seh sie nimmermehr! O!
Und was willt du lassen deiner Mutter teur,
Edward, Edward?
Und was willt du lassen deiner Mutter teur?
Mein Sohn, das sage mir! O!
Fluch will ich euch lassen und höllisch Feur,
Mutter, Mutter!
Fluch will ich euch lassen und höllisch Feur,
Denn Ihr, Ihr rietet’s mir! O!
Scottish-English
text, with a slightly
different version of the German translation (The text version Brahms
set, seen above, is actually closer to the original Scottish poem
than the version on the right in this link.)
Modern
English
translation
of Herder’s German text
0:00 [m. 1]--Stanza 1. In
the two bars before the alto’s (mother’s) entrance with her first
question, the piano left hand establishes a hushed, low and persistent
pedal point on C. The right hand plays broken octaves. When
she enters on an upbeat with her arching melody, the right hand plays
arpeggios that conceal a doubling of the melody. The repeated
name “Edward” is given a characteristic falling third, and her melody
ends with a half-cadence, reiterated by the descending half-step on
“O!” which will become a “marker” for both the mother’s and son’s
stanzas. It is punctuated by an arching arpeggio on the
“dominant” chord.
0:21 [m. 12]--Stanza 2.
The tenor’s (Edward’s) much narrower response heralds a change in the
accompaniment. The low pedal point moves to the off-beats, and it
moves with the harmonies, especially at cadence points. He also
uses the falling third for his insistent “Mutter!” but it is a step
lower than hers. The right hand arpeggios no longer double the melody,
instead lightly harmonizing it. His “O!” is also set to a falling
half-step, a third higher than hers. For his “O!” the arpeggio
begins before he starts it, and it is extended for a full bar after he
ends. The harmony of the arpeggio, initially suggesting a motion
away from F minor, changes to a “diminished seventh” in preparation for
the mother’s next statement in the home key.
0:40 [m. 22]--Stanza 3.
The mother’s melody is the same, but the accompaniment is more
dynamic. The hands are now doubled in octaves (two octaves apart)
on the short arpeggio figures, and they conceal both a doubling of the
melody and the seemingly abandoned pedal point on C. After a hint
at a return to the pedal point, the short arpeggios continue under her
“O!” replacing the long arching one and using new harmonies.
0:56 [m. 31]--Stanza 4.
Edward’s melody is also the same as it was in stanza 2, but as in the
mother’s previous verse, the accompaniment is much more dynamic in both
hands, the right hand arpeggios using more colorful harmonies and the
off-beat bass line abandoning any semblance of a pedal point, moving
almost constantly after the first bar. The arpeggio under his
“O!” is the same as it was in stanza 2 until the very end, where it
leads to a brief and abrupt one-beat pause before the mother’s next
entrance.
1:15 [m. 41]--Stanza 5.
The hands are again doubled in octaves, but this time they begin two
beats before the alto’s entrance, and they initiate a canon (direct imitation) of the
vocal melody, which she follows two beats later. Despite the
rapid arpeggios, the melody is clearly heard within the piano’s
texture. The canon breaks under the cries of “Edward,” where the
piano simply helps reiterate the F-minor harmony. It begins again
at the reiteration of the text after the cries, but it now quickly
breaks down in favor of doubling. Despite the canon, the mother’s
melody is as before, but now Brahms directs a slow and steady buildup
of volume and intensity, punctuated at the end of the verse by the
mother’s octave leap to a much shorter “O!”
1:29 [m. 50]--Stanza 6.
The song’s first climax culminates the first of two large waves of
increasing intensity and complexity. Abandoning his former narrow
range, the tenor takes Edward’s shockingly revelatory words to a pitch
level a fourth higher, and sings at full volume. The harmony now
emphasizes the related keys of D-flat major and B-flat minor, already
hinted at during Stanza 4. The accompaniment is completely new,
with strong bass notes and solid block chords coming after the
beats. The final “O!” is notable both for using the pitches
previously associated with the mother and for being stated twice, the
second statement receding in volume and settling down. The
arpeggios under the statements of “O!” use the “diminished seventh” and
continue to establish the F-minor key.
1:51 [m. 62]--Stanza 7.
The alto begins the second “wave” at a quiet level on her familiar
melody. The piano pedal point begins again, but it is now on the
home keynote of F. The right hand plays a triplet rhythm in
groupings of six notes, which undulate. The voice has one new
chromatic inflection on the words “du nun.” The piano adds
accented notes to its texture under the reiterated cries of
“Edward!” From that point, the low bass moves away from the pedal
point, but the upper octave persists on it, only moving away at the
half-cadence. The “O!” is back on its usual pitches, but the
arpeggio under it is now in triplets.
2:07 [m. 71]--Stanza 8.
The tenor’s response is on his original melody and pitch level.
It is varied by continuing the triplet rhythm heard under the mother’s
previous question in the right hand, now adding some two-note harmonies
to the undulations. The left hand bass off-beat punctuations
typical of the son’s previous responses are again present, and while
dynamic, they emphasize the pitches C and F, as they have done
before. His “O!” is also on the familiar pitches, with the
arpeggio used in stanzas 2 and 4.
2:25 [m. 81]--Stanza 9.
The mother now ratchets up the tension by gradually rising in pitch on
successive queries. Here, the melody is set a step higher than in
stanza 8. The pedal point begins on B-flat (the “subdominant”
note), and when it moves, it does so by descending half-steps and whole
steps. It ends on C at the close of the stanza. The cries
of “Edward!” are expanded from thirds to the highly unstable tritone
(diminished fifth). The arpeggio under “O!” (on new higher
pitches) is again in triplets, but it now begins before she sings it,
and it is in smaller groups instead of a larger arch. The key
veers toward D-flat major and minor at the end.
2:40 [m. 90]--Stanza 10.
Edward’s response stays on his old pitch level for now, but the
accompaniment carries over from the triplets under the mother’s last
“O!” The off-beat punctuations are now in the right hand, and
they only break the triplets twice, once before the repeated cries of
“Mutter,” and again in the emphatic last line. The triplets are
freely passed between the hands and include several chromatic notes,
but a doubling of the vocal line is concealed within.
The “O!” rises in pitch though, to notes suggesting a move to B-flat
minor, and the arpeggio under it also shifts up. For the first
time, there is not a bar of separation between this “O!” and the
mother’s next entry.
2:55 [m. 99]--Stanza 11.
The mother’s pitch level rises yet another step from her previous
stanza. The piano pedal point is on C, but it underlies highly
unstable diminished harmony. The tension is now at an almost
unbearable level, and Brahms marks that the speed and the volume should
steadily increase from this point. The cries of “Edward!” are
again on the uneasy tritone intervals. The bass line is more
active than in stanza 9. The last vocal descent hints at E-flat
minor, and a rising arpeggio in that key now underlies the “O!”
This is on the same pitches as in stanza 9. The rising, sweeping
arpeggios under the “O!” are new.
3:10 [m. 108]--Stanza 12.
Other than the outburst in stanza 6, all of Edward’s statements have
been at the same pitch level. Now, in the buildup to the last
climax, he sings his normal melody, but it is a third higher, in the
key of A-flat minor. Under this statement, the piano resumes the
triplet motion, which was absent in stanza 11, even under the mother’s
“O!” The triplets are now constant throughout the verse, and the
vestiges of the off-beat punctuations are gone. Triplet groups
are passed between the hands, and are often harmonized.
Approaching the “O!” the piano moves to the sweeping, rising arpeggios
heard in stanza 11 for the mother. For the first and only time,
the tenor sings the “O!” on a descending third instead of a half-step,
and at the highest pitch level of any stanza-ending “O!” thus
far. Again, the mother enters directly.
3:25 [m. 117]--Stanza 13.
The mother’s climactic statement completes the gradual ascent and is in
the key of B-flat minor. It is her highest statement, and lies at
top of the alto range, creating the effect of a strained voice.
The opening line is altered, with faster notes to accommodate the text
and with a more emphatic cadence. The cries of “Edward!” are now
on perfect fifths for the only time. The last two lines are as in
other verses, but the “O!” is an octave leap, as in stanza 5, landing
on her highest obligatory pitch. The piano arpeggios are as
usual, with some shadowing of the voice, but the bass is very active,
with low octaves and fifths.
3:38 [m. 125]--Stanza 14.
The tenor sings his final verse at the same pitch level as the other
climactic statement in stanza 6. This time, though, the mother
was already in the B-flat-minor key, so he can already enter on the
high pitch rather than shooting up and changing key. The
accompaniment is much more emphatic than in stanza 6. The chords
are full and strong, entering on the beats as opposed to the previous
off-beats. There are sweeping arpeggios under the cries of
“Mutter!” At the last line, the tenor halts on the revelatory
word “Ihr” and allows the piano chords to complete the melodic
line. He then repeats the fateful, accusatory word, wrenching his
voice to the highest pitch of the song, A-flat. He then strongly
completes the line and moves back to F minor at the cadence.
3:53 [m. 133]--After the
cadence, the tenor’s final statements of “O!” and the piano arpeggios
underneath them are as they were in stanza 6, except that the first
arpeggio before the vocal entry is already on a solid F minor.
This means that the “O!” is repeated, it is symbolically on the
mother’s typical pitches, and the second one recedes. The first
bar after the second “O!” continues the piano arpeggios as after stanza
6, but it suddenly reverses dynamic course and intensifies. An
extra bar of F-minor descents is added, building to the last decisive
chord.
4:10--END OF DUET [139 mm.]
2.
Guter Rat (Good Advice). Text from the German folk
collection Des Knaben Wunderhorn, edited by Clemens Brentano
and Achim von Arnim. Lebhaft und lustig (Lively and merrily),
Allegretto giocoso (piano part). Combination of ternary and varied
double strophic form. E MAJOR, 2/4 (and 6/8) time. Soprano/Alto.
German Text:
Ach Mutter, liebe Mutter,
Ach, gebt mir einen Rat!
Es reitet mir alle Frühmorgen
Ein hurtiger Reuter nach.
“Ach Tochter, liebe Tochter!
Den Rat, den geb’ ich dir:
Laß du den Reuter fahren,
Bleib noch ein Jahr bei mir!”
Ach Mutter, liebe Mutter,
Der Rat der ist nicht gut;
Der Reuter, der ist mir lieber
Als alle dein Hab und Gut.
“Ist dir der Reuter lieber
Als alle mein Hab und Gut,
So bind dein’ Kleider zusammen
Und lauf dem Reuter nach!”
Ach Mutter, liebe Mutter,
Der Kleider hab’ ich nicht viel;
Gib mir nur hundert Taler,
So kauf’ ich, was ich will.
“Ach Tochter, liebe Tochter!
Der Taler hab’ ich nicht viel;
Dein Vater hat alles verrauschet
In Würfel- und Kartenspiel.”
Hat mein Vater alles verrauschet
In Würfel- und Kartenspiel,
so sei es Gott geklaget,
Daß ich sein’ Tochter bin.
Wär’ ich ein Knab’ geboren,
Ich wollte ziehn über Feld,
Ich wollte die Trommel rühren
Dem Kaiser wohl um sein Geld.
English
Translation
0:00 [m. 1]--Stanza 1. An
extended two-bar cadence with after-beat bass notes serves as an
introduction. The daughter (soprano) presents her jaunty melody
for the first two lines as the piano moves to a steady bass and
off-beat rolled chords in the right hand. At the third line, both
the voice and piano switch to a triplet rhythm. The piano
introduces a lightly “galloping” figure in this triplet rhythm at the
mention of the rider. The vocal line mixes triplets and straight
rhythm. The daughter repeats the last line, coming to a cadence
as the piano settles down. A two-bar bridge to the next stanza
mixes triplet chords with a strong “straight” bass line. The
entire verse is light in character.
0:16 [m. 14]--Stanza 2.
The mother (alto) presents her verse in the “dominant” key of B
major. Her melody for the first two lines is essentially an
inversion of the daughter’s, turning it upside down. The
accompaniment here again consists of the steady bass and off-beat right
hand chords. In the third line, she sweeps down, and the piano
follows her with detached descending triplets in two-note harmonies,
creating a cross rhythm (again in connection to the rider). The
old straight pattern is restored for the last line and its repetition,
the latter coming to a cadence in B. The bridge re-introduces the
cross rhythm with right hand triplets, again off the beat. The
left hand harmonies arch up and back down, moving back home to E.
0:29 [m. 25]--Stanza 3.
The daughter’s vocal line, aside from some slight rhythmic variance, is
the same as in stanza 1. The accompaniment is varied. In
the first two lines, the right hand now plays steadily rather than only
off the beat under the first two lines, and it arches in the opposite
direction from the left hand. The third line again introduces
triplet rhythms in connection to the rider, but now only in the right
hand, off the beat as in the preceding bridge. The left hand
continues its steady, detached, arching lines. The repetition of
the last line and the following bridge are as in stanza 1.
0:41 [m. 36]--Stanza 4.
The mother’s melody, again in B major, is as in stanza 2. For the
first three lines, the accompaniment is the same as well, including the
detached descending triplet harmonies under the third line. Vocal
notes are split into shorter repetitions for “alle” and
“Kleider.” The last line and its repetition reverse the direction
of the left hand’s arching motion, and the right hand now adds emphasis
to the cadence in a harmonized descent. The bridge is the same as
that after stanza 2, with off-beat right hand triplets.
0:53 [m. 47]--Stanza 5.
The next three stanzas form a sort of middle section with harmonic and
melodic digressions. Here, the daughter turns to G major.
Her melody is similar, but its direction is closer to the mother’s
previous lines. The accompaniment is also much smoother, with
longer lines of right hand harmonies that still mostly begin off the
beat. At the third line, the daughter moves to triplet rhythm as
usual, and the piano stays in straight rhythm, but the piano introduces
a descending chromatic (half-step) line under the daughter’s plea for
money. The repetition of the last line reiterates “so kauf ich”
in a strong manner before continuing the line, this time without
leading to a full cadence. The usual bridge is omitted.
1:07 [m. 58]--Stanza 6.
The unpleasant revelation of the father’s gambling prompts a motion to
the minor--E minor, related to the previous G major. The first
two lines of the mother here have the same direction as the daughter’s
in stanza 5, and the accompaniment is even more flowing than it was
there, incorporating the left hand in the smooth motion. At the
motion to triplets in the third line, the mother’s direction reverses
that of the daughter’s, and the chromatic half-step line is also
reversed to an ascent. The left hand introduces mild
syncopation. The last line and its repetition, including a
reiteration of “in Würfel,” follow the previous direction of the
daughter in stanza 5. Here, unlike in stanza 5, the right hand
moves back to triplets, clashing with the left hand syncopation.
Again there is no full cadence and no bridge.
1:20 [m. 69]--Stanza 7.
The end of stanza 6 has moved to B minor, where stanza 7 will be
set. Breaking the pattern somewhat, the daughter’s first two
lines represent a transposed version of the mother’s LAST two lines in
stanza 6, without the repetition, and with greater intensity. The
accompaniment under this is the same ascending chromatic line, but it
is enhanced by rolled chords and a more active left hand. The
last two lines represent the climax of the duet, and consist of
completely new material. The daughter reaches her highest notes
in the lamenting line, and both hands of the piano are heavy, with
rolled chords, contrary motion, and the return of the after-beat
chords. The entire two lines are repeated and intensified, and
the last line is stretched out through longer notes to twice its
length. There is a full cadence in B minor.
1:35 [m. 81]--Stanza 8.
The meter shifts to 6/8 time, with triple division of the beat, but
Brahms retains a parenthetical 2/4 because of the many cross rhythms at
the end of the verse. He also places a new marking of “Lebhaft”
(“Lively”). The bridge at the cadence shifts B minor to B major,
leading back to the home key of E. It introduces tremolo figures suggesting drum
rolls. The daughter’s melody is a 6/8 version of the one used for
stanzas 1 and 3, and the piano passes two-note figures between the
hands, which move in opposite directions, also in the 6/8 meter.
This pattern persists for the first two lines.
1:43 [m. 87]--The piano “drum
rolls” return with the third line, and here also begin the cross
rhythms. The vocal melody still matches stanzas 1 and 3, but both
the voice and piano sing and play more and more duple groupings from
the previous 2/4 meter, usually one against continuing 6/8 motion in
the other. The piano is completely in the duple groupings in the
first statement of the last line. Both piano and voice return to
pure 6/8 for the repetition of the last line, which is a joyous and
exuberant phrase with a vocal flourish and bright rolled piano chords.
1:50 [m. 93]--The postlude,
beginning with the last vocal cadence, introduces a new cross
grouping. Both hands of the piano are still in 6/8, but the left
hand groups its notes as if it were in 3/4 (not 2/4). The hands
converge, the right hand descending and the left ascending (in two
waves) before coming together on the last punctuating chords with their
reiterated cadence. The exuberant mood of the last vocal line
carries through this postlude.
2:00--END OF DUET [96 mm.]
3.
So laß uns wandern (So let us wander). Text by
Joseph
Wenzig, after a Czech folk poem. Anmutig bewegt und sehr innig (With
graceful motion and very heartfelt), Andante grazioso e molto
espressivo (piano part). Combination of ternary and varied strophic
form. D MAJOR, 4/4 time. Soprano/Tenor.
German Text:
Ach Mädchen, liebes Mädchen,
Wie schwarz dein Auge ist!
Fast fürcht’ ich, es verzaubert
Mich einst voll arger List.
“Und wär’ mein Auge schwärzer,
Um vieles schwärzer noch,
Dich, Liebster mein, verzaubern,
Ich tät’ es niemals doch.”
Die Kräh’ auf jener Eiche,
Sieh, wie sie Eicheln pickt!
Wer weiß, wen einst der Himmel
Zum Bräutigam dir schickt!
“Und sprich, wen soll er schicken?
Ich gab ja dir mein Wort,
Weißt, unterm grünen Baume,
Bei unsrer Hütte dort.”
Wohlan, so laß uns wandern,
Du wanderst frisch mit mir;
Ein Kleid von grüner Farbe,
Mein Mädchen, kauf’ ich dir.
“Ein Kleid von grüner Farbe,
Das auch nicht gar zu lang:
So kann ich mit dir wandern,
Nichts hindert mich im Gang.”
Ein Kleid von grüner Farbe,
Das auch nicht gar zu lang:
So kannst du mit mir wandern,
Nichts hindert dich im Gang.
Wir wollen lustig wandern,
Bergüber und talein;
Die großen, freien Wälder
Sind unser Kämmerlein.
English
Translation
0:00 [m. 1]--Stanza 1.
The two-bar introduction anticipates the opening of the vocal line in
bright chords. The first gesture rises lower than the voice will,
the second higher. When the tenor enters with the same gesture,
the three top notes form the chord of the home key, D major. The
vocal line itself arches gracefully. The flowing accompaniment
contains some rolled chords in the left hand. The second and
third lines include a gently anxious turn to E minor A repetition
of the last two lines leads back home. Its last notes are
lengthened, extending the phrase. The cadence overlaps with the
soprano’s entry.
0:28 [m. 15]--Stanza 2.
The soprano, overlapping with the tenor’s cadence, sings the same vocal
line that he did, but the accompaniment is changed because of her
higher register. The first part of the flowing line is an octave
lower, with the rolled chords moving above it. The actual shape
begins to change under the second and third lines, but the flowing line
generally remains lower than in stanza 1. Under the repetition of
the last two lines, the piano closely matches stanza 1. Unlike
the tenor, the soprano does not lengthen her last notes, but the
cadence is more complete, without overlap. The one-bar bridge is
syncopated.
0:50 [m. 27]--Stanza 3.
The third and fourth stanzas form the middle section. The tenor’s
line here is more static, but it makes a harmonic turn toward G
major. The accompaniment continues the syncopation of the bridge,
then includes harmonized long-short (dotted) rhythms. The tenor
returns to the more arching motion in the last two lines, which make
another slightly aching, anxious turn to a minor key, this time
F-sharp, the note on which the syncopated notes in the piano settle.
1:07 [m. 35]--Stanza 4.
The soprano’s first two lines and her accompaniment match the tenor’s
in stanza 3. The last two lines make a subtle, but
highly effective and warm shift, moving to F major instead of F-sharp
minor. Both the accompaniment and the vocal line are slightly
embellished, the soprano reaching higher on “unsrer” than the tenor did
in his entire stanza. The end of the stanza is the emotional crux
of the duet.
1:24 [m. 43]--Stanza 5.
The tension resolved, the tenor joyfully returns to the opening melody
for this stanza, which includes the duet’s title. The
accompaniment is much richer now, with full harmonies and off-beat
right hand chords. Where the repetition of the last two lines is
expected, the stanza breaks off and merges with stanza 6, whose opening
line is the same as the closing line of this verse.
1:39 [m. 51]--Stanza 6.
The text of this stanza is given twice above (appearing as stanzas 6
and 7) to accommodate the fact that the the soprano’s text is in first
person and the tenor’s is in second person. Otherwise, the sense
of the words is exactly the same. The voices finally join
together in harmony. The first line begins like the repetition of
the text in stanzas 1 and 2 that was omitted in stanza 5. It
quickly deviates and builds, however, reaching a small climax and again
emphasizing G major. The excited voices repeat the last line,
reaching a dramatic pause on the expectant “dominant” chord of D
major. The accompaniment continues in the character of stanza 5.
2:01 [m. 61]--Stanza 7 (given
as stanza 8 above). The original music used for stanzas 1, 2, and
5 returns, complete with the repetition of the last two lines.
The soprano sings her melody from stanza 2, but lengthens the last
notes of the repeated text, as the tenor did in stanza 1. The
tenor adds a highly elaborate harmonic and contrapuntal line, bridging
to the repeated text with a soaring arch on an extra statement of “die
großen.” He also adds leaping notes in the lengthened
cadence. The brief postlude begins with a syncopated version of
the introductory bars from the very beginning, but then arches back
down in rich harmony.
2:40--END OF DUET [76 mm.]
4.
Walpurgisnacht (Walpurgis Night). Text by Willibald
Alexis. Presto. Through-composed form with regular phrases in
dialogue. A MINOR, 2/4 time in vocal parts, 6/8 in piano. Soprano
1/Soprano 2.
German Text:
Lieb’ Mutter, heut’ Nacht heulte Regen und Wind.
»Ist heute der erste Mai, liebes Kind!«
Lieb’ Mutter, es donnerte auf dem Brocken oben.
»Lieb’ Kind, es waren die Hexen droben.«
Liebe Mutter, ich möcht’ keine Hexen sehn.
»Liebes Kind, es ist wohl schon oft geschehn.«
Liebe Mutter, ob im Dorf wohl Hexen sind?
»Sie sind dir wohl näher, mein liebes Kind.«
Ach, Mutter, worauf fliegen die Hexen zum Berg?
»Auf Nebel, auf Rauch, auf loderndem Werg.«
Ach, Mutter, worauf reiten die Hexen beim Spiel?
»Sie reiten, sie reiten den Besenstiel.«
Ach, Mutter, was fegten im Dorfe die Besen!
»Es sind auch viel Hexen auf’m Berge gewesen.«
Ach, Mutter, was hat es im Schornstein gekracht!
»Es flog auch wohl Eine hinaus über Nacht.«
Ach, Mutter, dein Besen war die Nacht nicht zu Haus!
»Lieb’s Kind, so war er zum Brocken hinaus.«
Ach, Mutter, dein Bett war leer in der Nacht!
»Deine Mutter hat oben auf dem Blocksberg gewacht.«
English
Translation NOTE: This translation is based on an older
version of Alexis’s
poem. Brahms set a revised version (given above). The most
important differences in the translation are as follows: In all
couplets from the fifth, the daughter’s address “Dear” should be replaced with the
interjection “O.” The mother’s “Dear child” addresses are also absent except
for the ninth couplet. The mother’s response in the fifth couplet should be “On mist, on smoke, on burning flax.” In the sixth couplet, “at their play” should replace the directional “to their gatherings” in the daughter’s line. In the seventh couplet, the daughter’s statement should be “how the brooms were sweeping in the
village!” instead of “I saw many brooms in the village.” The eighth couplet should be “O mother, what a crash there was in
the chimney!”/“One perhaps flew out of it overnight.” “Blocksberg”
should be replaced with “Brocken” in the ninth couplet.
0:00 [m. 1]--The introduction is
based on a rising chromatic figure that begins off the beat against an
oscillating left hand. This figure, here richly harmonized,
provides the basis for much of the succeeding accompaniment. The
piano part is in 6/8, where it will remain throughout, clashing with
the “straight” 2/4 meter of the voices. The introduction is
extended to six bars by a half-cadence and a pause.
0:06 [m. 7]--First
couplet. The daughter’s line begins with a large leap and then
generally ascends, although it is characterized by declamatory
three-note descents before a final questioning leap. The
introductory figure is in the tenor range of the piano left hand.
The mother’s response is a straightforward descent, under which the
piano adds a more solid bass line that doubles the voice three octaves
lower, and the right hand has more syncopation. She ends on a
half-cadence that leads to the next exchange.
0:12 [m. 15]--Second
couplet. The exchange is similar to the first, but intensified
slightly by a triplet rhythm in the daughter’s line and a large closing
downward leap on the downbeat from both characters (in the daughter’s
case, an octave leap). The mother’s leap overlaps with the next
exchange.
0:19 [m. 23]--Third
couplet. Although the basic lines are the same for both
characters, they are somewhat more dramatic. The daughter’s
upbeat adds another note to lengthen “Lieb’” to “Liebe.” She also
inverts the second three-note descent, leading to a change in
harmony. The mother confirms this by shifting to the related
major key of C. Her line is also less of a straightforward
descent.
0:25 [m. 31]--Fourth
couplet. The daughter’s line begins as in the third exchange, but
the three-note ascent becomes a two-note skip because of declamation,
and then she stretches the leap on “Hexen” to an octave, leading to a
new related key, E minor. The mother’s line is similar to that in
the first two exchanges, but with a new downward leap. Also, the
statement both begins and ends in E minor (altering the line at the
end), so the end sounds like a full close instead of a half-cadence.
0:31 [m. 39]--Fifth
couplet. As the daughter drops “Lieb’” and “Liebe” (“dear”) from
her addresses to the mother, who is emerging more clearly as a witch,
her line moves up a third, again suggesting C major. The motive
from the introduction moves lower, to the bass register. The
right hand loses its off-beat character, moving higher and adding
bell-like downbeats. The mother’s response is completely
changed. It has three large leaps (two fourths and a fifth) in
its descent, but is still partly doubled in the bass line. It
also has a new accompaniment in the right hand that resembles the
daughter’s main melody. Her cadence moves decisively to C minor,
ending with her lowest note (lower than the daughter ever reaches).
0:38 [m. 47]--Sixth
couplet. With the building tension, the daughter shifts up a
half-step to D-flat major. Her line is somewhat altered again,
adding a downward leap and return of a fifth in the middle. The
accompaniment is similar to the fifth exchange. The mother sings
her line, with its accompaniment, from the fifth exchange, but it is
also shifted up a half-step, to C-sharp (D-flat) minor.
0:44 [m. 55]--Seventh
couplet. There is a significant change in the vocal lines of both
characters. The daughter retains the internal leap and return
from the last exchange, but the three-note descents are replaced by
repeated notes on C-sharp. The piano also changes, playing static
broken octaves with accents. What the mother sings is essentially
an inversion of the daughter’s line from the sixth couplet, with rising
three-note groups and an internal leap and return UP a fifth in the
middle, but it adds another upward leap at the end. The mother’s
accompaniment is very artful. It is the ORIGINAL form of the
daughter’s line from the sixth couplet, with the introduction motive in
the bass, the first time it has accompanied the mother. The key
seems to shift up another half-step, to D minor, but it is very
unstable and without a clear arrival.
0:51 [m. 63]--Eighth
couplet. Both voices, with their accompaniments, sing their lines
as in the seventh exchange, but again shifted up a half-step and
suggesting E-flat minor at the end.
0:57 [m. 71]--Ninth
couplet. The vocal lines and their accompaniments are essentially
as in the last two exchanges, but the tension and drama is wrenched
even tighter by faster upward shifts. The daughter shifts up a
half-step, as expected, but the second half of her line shifts up
ANOTHER half-step. As a result, the mother begins a WHOLE step
higher than in the eighth exchange, and she also makes her own
half-step shift halfway through her line. She reaches her highest
pitch at the last leap. The harmonic result is a shift up three
levels, ending with F-sharp minor. The volume also dramatically
builds.
1:03 [m. 79]--Tenth
couplet. For the last exchange, the daughter has nearly lost her
mind. She adds more downward leaps than in the previous
statements, and again shifts up two half-steps, up to G-sharp.
The accompaniment is similar to her last statements, but it adds some
double notes. Suddenly, there is a dramatic pause, the first in
the whole duet. The daughter’s highest pitch is G-sharp, which is
still lower than the mother’s highest pitch of A. The harmony
under the G-sharp is the “dominant” chord of the home key, A minor,
preparing the decisive return that will come with the mother’s last
frenzied cries.
1:06 [m. 84]--The mother’s
final entrance is delayed a bar by the pause. She changes her
line, adding descending broken chords and emphasizing her strained
highest note. The last leap is extended by a bar, making a
five-measure phrase. The accompaniment here is greatly
changed. For the first time, the right hand actually adopts the
“straight” rhythm as well as the melody, originally associated with the
daughter, that has accompanied the mother since the seventh
exchange. The left hand, while retaining vestiges of the
introduction motive, also undermines the 6/8 flow with groupings that
are more like 3/4.
1:10 [m. 89]--The mother
repeats her last words, quite shockingly, to the daughter’s original
melody (as altered with the inner leap and return, as in the sixth
couplet, which has formed the mother’s accompaniment since the seventh
exchange), thus completely subsuming her. She stretches the last
words, “Blocksberg gewacht,” with longer notes, bringing the phrase to
six bars and ending with the strained high A. The motive from the
introduction moves to the right hand, with full harmony, bringing the
duet full circle. The left hand plays arpeggios.
1:15 [m. 94]--The accompaniment
pattern continues in the postlude, which merges with the mother’s last
note and continues with three statements of the motive until sharp
chords in A major (not
minor), end the duet.
1:27--END OF DUET [99 mm.] (runoff
after 1:22)
END OF SET
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